Monday, August 20, 2012

Pickle-Flavored Zucchini Squash Chips and Dried Pickle Recipes Made in a Food Dehydrator

Its that time of year again when gardeners are desperately
seeking ways to make use of their excess harvests of zucchini.

I marinaded some zucchini slices in the pickle juice that we usually
throw away when all of the pickles in the jar have been eaten. I made
one batch with dill pickle juice and one batch with sweet pickle juice.
Then I dried the slices in my food
dehydrator. The vinegar evaporates in the dehydrator, so most
of the sour taste is lost.
The dried raw zucchini squash snack
chips were crunchy with interesting subtle pickle flavors.

Marinaded zucchini slices.

Dehydrated raw zucchini chips.

Dehydrated Pickles also make an interesting homemade snack
food.

I also dried some pickle slices in the food dehydrator. The dried dill
pickle slices came out with a good strong dill
flavor. Dried sweet pickle slices were slightly sweet with a mild
pickle flavor.

Dill pickles and sweet pickles.

Pickle slices.

Dehydrated dill pickle and sweet pickle slices.

Conclusion: we can make healthy, crunchy snack
foods at home. We don't need to buy the big bags of greasy, salty
junkfoods at the store!! Although I sometimes still do.

Dried pickles and dehydrated raw vegan zucchini
chips are healthy, homemade snacks that are low calorie, low fat,
low salt, low carb and gluten free, making them suitable for many diet
plans. These novel recipes seem to quickly satisfy my urges for
crunching and snacking. No doubt I consume
fewer calories from these dried veggie chips than I would from many
types of junky store-bought snack foods. These homemade snacks make
neat and tidy hors d'oeuvres or appetizers for TV or computer time,
parties, etc. They are also excellent light weight foods for camping,
hiking, backpacking, kayaking, canoeing and rafting trips.